Issue - meetings
Motions
Meeting: 22/11/2021 - Council (Item 17)
To debate the motions submitted in accordance with Standing Order 41.
Members are asked to note that the motions submitted have now been republished with the agenda.
(Agenda republished to include motions on 17 November 2021)
Additional documents:
- 16.2 Motion - Labour Group, item 17 PDF 208 KB
- 16.3 Motion - Labour Group, item 17 PDF 223 KB
- Webcast for Motions
Decision:
(1) The following motion submitted by the Conservative Group was declared lost:
Granville New Homes Independent Inquiry
“This Council notes with grave concern the issues raised by the Ridge Report on the Granville New Homes build by Brent Council.
This matter was briefly discussed at the Community & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee and Audit and Standards Advisory Committee. Because of time constraints, the matter has not been fully aired. There still remains very large and serious questions the Administration needs to answer, for example:
· When and who commissioned the Ridge Report?
· When did the serious defects in the structure of the construction come to light?
· What was the Building Contractors and Councils Building Control Department’s involvement during construction and issue of Completion Certificate?
There are various estimates circulating as to the amount of money required to remedy the defects. One source reports that £18.4 million will be required. This amount is larger than the Council potentially lost by investment in Icelandic Banks.
This Council therefore agrees to request that the Cabinet commissions an independent inquiry into the matter.”
Councillors Colwill, Kansagra and Maurice voted in favour of the above motion.
All other members present at the meeting voted against the above motion.
(2) The following Motion submitted by the Labour Group was AGREED:
The Big Issue Campaign – Stop mass homelessness
“This Council notes:
Thatthousands offamilies arefacing evictionsand repossessionsas measuresto protectresidents put in place during Covid-19, end; Universal Credit is reduced; the furlough scheme ends; and electricity, gasand the cost of living rises at pace.
This Council believes that:
Now is not the time to unravel the interventions that the government has introduced to protectpeople during this unprecedented period.
Unless urgent action is taken by this government, the UK will face a homelessness crisisthis winter, on ashameful scale.
Over the last year, nearly 6,000 residents approached Brent Council because they feared being made homeless. While our officer’s work tirelessly to offer assistance to as many residents as possible, the sheer scale of demand sadly outstrips supply. The pandemic has shown that mass homelessness is a political choice – the government averted it once with the Everybody In initiative and they can do so again; simply by making additional funding available to this Council.
This Councilresolves to:
1. Support the Big Issue’s plan to Stop Mass Homelessness and call on the Lead Member for Housing & Welfare Reform to write to the relevant Secretaries of State asking them to keep people in their homes and in sustainable jobs. They could do this by committing to pay off £360m in rent arrears; suspend no fault evictions until a Renters’ Reform Act is passed; make permanent the £20 Universal Credit uplift; improve access to Discretionary Housing Payment; unfreeze Local Housing Allowance; improve support for financial literacy education and invest to create new green jobs.
2. Express its support for a Wellbeing of Future Generations Act requiring public bodies to consider how decisions made ... view the full decision text for item 17
Minutes:
Before moving on to consider the motions listed on the summons, the Mayor advised members that a total of 30 minutes had been set aside for the consideration of the three motions submitted for debate, based on an initial allocation of 10 minutes per motion. Should the time taken to consider the first motion be less than 10 minutes she advised that the remaining time available would be rolled forward for consideration of the remaining motion.
17.11st Motion (Conservative Group) – Granville New Homes Independent Inquiry
The Mayor invited Councillor Kansagra to move the first motion which had been submitted on behalf of the Conservative Group. Councillor Kansagra, in moving the motion, highlighted the Conservative Groups concern regarding the issues outlined within the Ridge Report on the Granville New Homes Block development. Referring to the potential cost in addressing the issues and defects identified he also highlighted the wider inconvenience caused by the delays in undertaking these works for residents living in the blocks. Whilst recognising the issues had been subject to consideration at the Community & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee and Audit and Standards Advisory Committee it was not felt this had provided sufficient opportunity to fully explore the matters needing to be considered with a number of concerns still to be addressed. Concerns were also expressed at the delay in members being advised of the report and issues in relation to the blocks, with the Conservative Group therefore calling on the Council to request that Cabinet commission an independent inquiry into the matter.
The Mayor then invited other members to speak on the motion, with the following contribution received.
Councillor McLennan, in responding to the motion, began by recognising the impact on residents within the blocks and highlighting the Council’s commitment towards addressing the issues and works identified in order to ensure the provision of a building that was safe, secure and fit for purpose. In outlining the background and history to the construction and ownership of the blocks, she highlighted that approval of the original development had been subject to planning permission granted by Planning Committee in 2008 when Councillor Kansagra had been chair. Commenting on the background to the Ridge Report, Councillor McLennan advised this had been commissioned once the extent of the works required to rectify the original construction defects had become clear in order to enable a full assessment of the options and costs of the works required. Confirmation was provided regarding the consultation and engagement with those residents affected, who members were advised had been fully supportive of the approach now agreed by Cabinet to rectify the defects and undertake the works required.
As no further members had indicated that they wished to speak the Mayor invited Councillor Kansagra to exercise his right of reply.
In summing up, Councillor Kansagra felt it was important to clarify that as Chair of the Planning Committee his remit had been to consider the planning application rather than assess the construction of the blocks. He therefore ... view the full minutes text for item 17